Contents

The base village is called as Dhodambe from where one can start to climb the fort.

The fort is 42 km to the Nashik, about 3 km from Hatti Village, 16 km from Abhona in the Satmala range, Nasik region of Sahyadris.

When travelling from Nashik to Malegaon on highway NH-3, one can see this fort from a distance, from villages Shirwade-Wani, Khadak-Jamb, Vadali-bhoi and Sogras. One simple route is Nashik to Wadali bhoi (50 km) and Wadali bhoi to Dhodambe (8 km). The fort is recognizable for its typical shape.

The top of the fort was built using a combination of dressed stone and brickwork. There is a tank with an idol of Lord Hanuman and a tunnel 5m wide. The fort has a pointed cliff named Shembi. One can find caves at the base. One end of the fort shows a domical structure. The eastern face shows a fearsome cliff named Ikhara which is ideal for rock climbers.

One temple situated in one of the caves is in good condition. A few other caves are also seen around and are quite big in size. Also the trunk of Dhodap fort is in good condition.

One of the most interesting things is that there is a "cow of stone" moving inside this hill. It's heard by the peoples in the nearby villages that on every Vasubaras, this cow moves inside by the distance of four grains.

This fort is a good site for trekkers and adventurous tourists to visit. Accommodation can be arranged at the base village with the help of local villagers. very little Water is available at the top. Therefore, carry enough water while climbing this fort.

One can climb the fort from two routes, from the Dhodambe village side and from the Deola side. From Pune the route can be as Pune to Nashik (road/rail, 202 km) - Dhodambe (road, 40 km) - Hatti (road, 3 km).

1.
Geographic coordinate system
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A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system used in geography that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation, to specify a location on a two-dimensional map requires a map projection. The invention of a coordinate system is generally credited to Eratosthenes of Cyrene. Ptolemy credited him with the adoption of longitude and latitude. Ptolemys 2nd-century Geography used the prime meridian but measured latitude from the equator instead. Mathematical cartography resumed in Europe following Maximus Planudes recovery of Ptolemys text a little before 1300, in 1884, the United States hosted the International Meridian Conference, attended by representatives from twenty-five nations. Twenty-two of them agreed to adopt the longitude of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, the Dominican Republic voted against the motion, while France and Brazil abstained. France adopted Greenwich Mean Time in place of local determinations by the Paris Observatory in 1911, the latitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle between the equatorial plane and the straight line that passes through that point and through the center of the Earth. Lines joining points of the same latitude trace circles on the surface of Earth called parallels, as they are parallel to the equator, the north pole is 90° N, the south pole is 90° S. The 0° parallel of latitude is designated the equator, the plane of all geographic coordinate systems. The equator divides the globe into Northern and Southern Hemispheres, the longitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle east or west of a reference meridian to another meridian that passes through that point. All meridians are halves of great ellipses, which converge at the north and south poles, the prime meridian determines the proper Eastern and Western Hemispheres, although maps often divide these hemispheres further west in order to keep the Old World on a single side. The antipodal meridian of Greenwich is both 180°W and 180°E, the combination of these two components specifies the position of any location on the surface of Earth, without consideration of altitude or depth. The grid formed by lines of latitude and longitude is known as a graticule, the origin/zero point of this system is located in the Gulf of Guinea about 625 km south of Tema, Ghana. To completely specify a location of a feature on, in, or above Earth. Earth is not a sphere, but a shape approximating a biaxial ellipsoid. It is nearly spherical, but has an equatorial bulge making the radius at the equator about 0. 3% larger than the radius measured through the poles, the shorter axis approximately coincides with the axis of rotation

2.
India
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India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and it is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast. It shares land borders with Pakistan to the west, China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the northeast, in the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Indias Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a border with Thailand. The Indian subcontinent was home to the urban Indus Valley Civilisation of the 3rd millennium BCE, in the following millennium, the oldest scriptures associated with Hinduism began to be composed. Social stratification, based on caste, emerged in the first millennium BCE, early political consolidations took place under the Maurya and Gupta empires, the later peninsular Middle Kingdoms influenced cultures as far as southeast Asia. In the medieval era, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam arrived, much of the north fell to the Delhi sultanate, the south was united under the Vijayanagara Empire. The economy expanded in the 17th century in the Mughal empire, in the mid-18th century, the subcontinent came under British East India Company rule, and in the mid-19th under British crown rule. A nationalist movement emerged in the late 19th century, which later, under Mahatma Gandhi, was noted for nonviolent resistance, in 2015, the Indian economy was the worlds seventh largest by nominal GDP and third largest by purchasing power parity. Following market-based economic reforms in 1991, India became one of the major economies and is considered a newly industrialised country. However, it continues to face the challenges of poverty, corruption, malnutrition, a nuclear weapons state and regional power, it has the third largest standing army in the world and ranks sixth in military expenditure among nations. India is a constitutional republic governed under a parliamentary system. It is a pluralistic, multilingual and multi-ethnic society and is home to a diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitats. The name India is derived from Indus, which originates from the Old Persian word Hindu, the latter term stems from the Sanskrit word Sindhu, which was the historical local appellation for the Indus River. The ancient Greeks referred to the Indians as Indoi, which translates as The people of the Indus, the geographical term Bharat, which is recognised by the Constitution of India as an official name for the country, is used by many Indian languages in its variations. Scholars believe it to be named after the Vedic tribe of Bharatas in the second millennium B. C. E and it is also traditionally associated with the rule of the legendary emperor Bharata. Gaṇarājya is the Sanskrit/Hindi term for republic dating back to the ancient times, hindustan is a Persian name for India dating back to the 3rd century B. C. E. It was introduced into India by the Mughals and widely used since then and its meaning varied, referring to a region that encompassed northern India and Pakistan or India in its entirety

3.
States and territories of India
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India is a federal union comprising twenty-nine states and seven union territories. The states and union territories are further subdivided into districts and further into smaller administrative divisions, the Constitution of India distributes the sovereign executive and legislative powers exercisable with respect to the territory of any State between the Union and that State. The Indian subcontinent has been ruled by different ethnic groups throughout its history. Between 1947 and 1950, the territories of the states were politically integrated into the Indian Union. The new Constitution of India, which came into force on 26 January 1950, the new republic was also declared to be a Union of States. The nine Part A states were Assam, Bihar, Bombay, Madhya Pradesh, Madras, Orissa, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. The eight Part B states were former princely states or groups of states, governed by a rajpramukh, who was usually the ruler of a constituent state. The rajpramukh was appointed by the President of India, the Part B states were Hyderabad, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Bharat, Mysore, Patiala and East Punjab States Union, Rajasthan, Saurashtra, and Travancore-Cochin. The ten Part C states included both the former chief commissioners provinces and some states, and each was governed by a chief commissioner appointed by the President of India. The Part C states were Ajmer, Bhopal, Bilaspur, Coorg, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Cutch, Manipur, Tripura, the only Part D state was the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which were administered by a lieutenant governor appointed by the central government. The Union Territory of Puducherry was created in 1954 comprising the previous French enclaves of Pondichéry, Karaikal, Yanam, Andhra State was created on 1 October 1953 from the Telugu-speaking northern districts of Madras State. The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 reorganised the states based on linguistic lines resulting in the creation of the new states, as a result of this act, Madras State retained its name with Kanyakumari district added to from Travancore-Cochin. Andhra Pradesh was created with the merger of Andhra State with the Telugu-speaking districts of Hyderabad State in 1956, kerala was created with the merger of Malabar district and the Kasaragod taluk of South Canara districts of Madras State with Travancore-Cochin. The Laccadive Islands which were divided between South Canara and Malabar districts of Madras State were united and organised into the territory of Lakshadweep. Bombay State was enlarged by the addition of Saurashtra State and Kutch State, Rajasthan and Punjab gained territories from Ajmer and Patiala and East Punjab States Union respectively and certain territories of Bihar was transferred to West Bengal. Bombay State was split into the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra on 1 May 1960 by the Bombay Reorganisation Act. Nagaland was formed on 1 December 1963, the Punjab Reorganisation Act of 1966 resulted in the creation of Haryana on 1 November and the transfer of the northern districts of Punjab to Himachal Pradesh. The act also designated Chandigarh as a territory and the shared capital of Punjab

4.
Maharashtra
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Maharashtra is a state in the western region of India and is Indias second-most populous state and third-largest state by area. It is the wealthiest Indian state and it is also the worlds second-most populous sub-national entity. It has over 112 million inhabitants and its capital, Mumbai, has a population of approximately 18 million, Nagpur is Maharashtras second capital as well as its winter capital. Maharashtras business opportunities along with its potential to offer a standard of living attract migrants from all over India. Ancient and medieval Maharashtra included the empires of the Satavahana dynasty, Rashtrakuta dynasty, Western Chalukyas, Mughals, the major rivers of the state are Godavari, and Krishna. The Narmada and Tapti Rivers flow near the border between Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, Maharashtra is the second most urbanised state in India. The state has several popular Hindu places of pilgrimage including Pandharpur, Dehu and Alandi, other places that attract pilgrims from other parts of India and beyond include Hazur Sahib Gurudwara at Nanded, Sai Baba shrine at Shirdi and Dikshabhumi at Nagpur. Maharashtra is the wealthiest and one of the most developed states in India, as of 2011, the state had a per capita income of ₹1.0035 lakh, more than the national average of ₹0.73 lakh. Its GDP per capita crossed the ₹1.20 lakh threshold for the first time in 2013, however, as of 2014, the GDP per capita reduced to ₹1.03 lakh Agriculture and industries are the largest parts of the states economy. Major industries include chemical products, electrical and non-electrical machinery, textiles, petroleum, Jai Maharashtra The modern Marathi language developed from the Maharashtri Prakrit, and the word Mahratta is found in the Jain Maharashtri literature. The terms Maharashtra, Maharashtri, Marathi and Maratha may have derived from the same root, however, their exact etymology is uncertain. But the Marathas as a people do not seem to be mentioned before the thirteenth or fourteenth century, the most widely accepted theory among the linguistic scholars is that the words Maratha and Maharashtra ultimately derived from a combination of Maha and rashtrika. The word rashtrika is a Sanskritized form of Ratta, the name of a tribe or dynasty of petty chiefs ruling in the Deccan region. Another theory is that the term is derived from Maha and ratha / rathi, an alternative theory states that the term derives from the word Maha and Rashtra. However, this theory has not found acceptance among scholars who believe it to be the Sanskritised interpretation of later writers. Maharashtra was ruled by the Maurya Empire in the 4th and 3rd centuries BCE, around 230 BCE Maharashtra came under the rule of the Satavahana dynasty for 400 years. The greatest ruler of the Satavahana Dynasty was Gautamiputra Satakarni, in 90 CE Vedishri, son of the Satavahana king Satakarni, the Lord of Dakshinapatha, wielder of the unchecked wheel of Sovereignty, made Junnar, thirty miles north of Pune, the capital of his kingdom. The state was ruled by Western Satraps, Gupta Empire, Gurjara-Pratihara, Vakataka, Kadambas, Chalukya Empire, Rashtrakuta Dynasty, and Western Chalukya before finally

5.
List of districts of India
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A district is an administrative division of an Indian state or territory. In some cases districts are subdivided into sub-divisions, and in others directly into tehsils or talukas. As of 2016 there are a total of 707 districts, up from the 640 in the 2011 Census of India, mahe of Puducherry is the smallest district of India by area while Kutch of Gujarat is the largest district of India by area. The majority of districts are named after their administrative centre, some are referred to by two names, a traditional one and one that uses the name of the town that is the headquarters. Since most of the districts are named after a town, the district is appended to distinguish between the town and the district. Official websites very often use District with a capital D in this context, the names of the 687 districts are mostly unique. The following tables list the details of various states

6.
Chandwad
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Chandwad is a town located in the Nashik district in Maharashtra. It is 250 km away from Mumbai, there are many historical places like Renuka devi mandir, Chandreshwar temple and Rangmahal located in Chandwad. Chandwad is a tehsil in Malegaon subdivision of Nashik district in Maharashtra and it is a historical place where Ahilyadevi Holkars Rangmahal is situated. It is surrounded by big mountains and is like a hill station, Chandwad is also well known for bhagwan chandraprabhu caves situated near a hill. It has special importance for Jains, jain people living in Chandwad city and also older people believe that these caves are made in chaturthkal i. e. before 2600–2700 years. Rishi Parashurama was asked by his father Jamadagni to kill his mother Renuka, Parashurama, being an obedient son, separated her head from body. The head landed in Chandwad while the fell near Mahur. There is a temple of Goddess Renuka on the outskirts of Chandwad. Similarly there are temples of Lord Ganesh, Mahadeo and Goddess Kalika, the city is located on NH-3 between Pimpalgaon Baswant and Malegaon. The main attraction of the city are Rangmahal and an adjoining well, the Rangmahal now houses many government offices, and a government school. Mrs. Holkar also built a network of subways from her palace to different popular locations like Goddess Renuka Temple. They were supposed to be used as safe passage under enemy attack, mrs. Ahilyadevi Holkar made a road from Indore to Trimbakeshwar, which is now part of NH-3. The Holkars were appointed as key Jahagirdaar by the Peshwas, the road was an important trade and travel link between Indore to Trimbakeshwar, with onward link to Pune originating from Malegaon City. The town boasts cosmopolitan culture, and amity, ganeshotsav is an important festival for the town, and is celebrated at the town level. The town had many handlooms, which vanished after 1970, the state highway from Vinchur to Prakasha crosses NH-3 in this town. The other state highway originates from Chandwad to Manmad and further to Nandgaon and this town acts as a gateway for traffic from the north part of Nashik district to Ahmadnagar and Aurangabad, and especially to Manmad Rail station. As a result, the town has significant traffic and allied trade, the SNJbs College Of Engineering is one of the most important educational centres of the town and one of the most famous college in Nashik district. Campus also contain BHMS College, Pharmacy College and Polytechnic college. com

7.
Marathi language
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Marathi is an Indian language spoken predominantly by the Marathi people of Maharashtra. It is the language and co-official language in the Maharashtra and Goa states of Western India, respectively. There were 73 million speakers in 2001, Marathi ranks 19th in the list of most spoken languages in the world, Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India, after Hindi, Bengali and Telugu in that order. Marathi has some of the oldest literature of all modern Indo-Aryan languages, the major dialects of Marathi are Standard Marathi and the Varhadi dialect. Malvani Konkani has been influenced by Marathi varieties. Marathi has several features that set it aside from most other Indian languages, Marathi distinguishes inclusive and exclusive forms of we and possesses a three-way gender system that features the neuter in addition to the masculine and the feminine. In its phonology it contrasts apico-alveolar with alveopalatal affricates and, in common with Gujarati, Marathi is primarily spoken in Maharashtra and parts of neighbouring states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, union-territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The cities of Baroda, Surat, and Ahmedabad, Belgaum, Karwar, Nipani, Indore, Gwalior, Adoni, Hyderabad, Marathi is also spoken by Maharashtrian emigrants worldwide, especially in the United States, United Kingdom, Israel, Mauritius, and Canada. Marathi is the language of Maharashtra and co-official language in the union territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra. In Goa, Konkani is the official language, however. Marathi is included among the languages which stand a part of the Eight Schedule of the Constitution of India, the contemporary grammatical rules described by Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad and endorsed by the Government of Maharashtra are supposed to take precedence in standard written Marathi. Traditions of Marathi Linguistics and the rules give special status to tatsamas. This special status expects the rules for tatsamas to be followed as in Sanskrit and this practice provides Marathi with a large treasure of Sanskrit words to cope with demands of new technical words whenever needed. Jawaharlal Nehru University has announced plans to establish a department for Marathi. Marathi Day is celebrated on 27 February, the birthday of poet Vishnu Vaman Shirwadkar, Indian languages, including Marathi, that belong to the Indo-Aryan language family are derived from early forms of Prakrit. Marathi is one of languages that further descend from Maharashtri Prakrit. Marathi literature began and grew owing to the rise of the Seuna dynasty of Devgiri, further growth and usage of the language was because of two religious sects – the Mahanubhava and Varkari panthans – who adopted Marathi as the medium for preaching their doctrines of devotion. Marathi had attained a place in court life by the time of the Seuna kings

8.
Salher
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Salher is a place located near Waghamba in Satana tehsil in Nasik district of Maharashtra, India. The money acquired after raiding Surat was brought to this fort first on its way to the Maratha capital forts, according to a legend, Lord Parshuram did his Tapascharya at Salher Fort. After winning the earth and giving it as donation, he land for himself to live in, by pushing the sea back with his arrows. The twin fort Salota is very near to Salher, an ancient and historically significant place like this is also famous for its battles during the reign of Shivaji. Salher Fort was under Shivaji maharaj in 1671, the Mughals attacked the fort in 1672. Almost one lakh soldiers fought in this war, many soldiers died in this battle but finally Shivaji Maharaj won the battle of Salher. Of all the face to face battles between the Mughals and Shivaji Maharaj’s troops, the battle of Salher takes first place, such a big battle was not won before. The bravery and strategy used by the Maratha troops in the battle spread far and wide, after winning Salher, the Marathas also captured Mulher and established their reign over the Baglan region. In the 18th century the Peshwas occupied this fort and later by the British, battle of Salher-The fort of Salher was captured by Shivaji in 1671, during his campaign of the Baglan region. This news reached the Mogul emperor in Delhi and he got incensed with this news and said I have sent lakhs of cavalry but they have come back shamefully, now whom do I send. The emperor then decided As long as Shivaji is alive, we are not leaving Delhi and he then called Ikhlaas Khan and Bahlol Khan and sent them with a cavalry of 20,000 horses to attack Salher. Ikhlaas Khan then laid siege of Salher Fort, when this news reached the Maharaj, he sent message to his Commander in Chief Prataprao through his secret agents Go to Salher with your troops and drive off Bahlol Khan. He also sent a letter to Moropant Peshwa to go from Varghati Konkan along with his troops. As planned, both Prataprao and Moropant rode to Salher from both sides and a battle ensued. The battle was so fierce that the dust which was raised by the troops rose up in an area of 3 km, the Elephant troops arrived and both sides saw 10,000 troops perish and blood flow like rivers. The Marathas defeated Ikhlaas Khan and Bahlol Khan in this bloody battle, there were 1,20,000 troops of Raja Shivaji and it returned 10,000 less, lost in battle. Shivaji’s troops captured 6,000 horses,6,000 camels,150 elephants, heavy gold ornaments, gold coins, the maratha soldiers showed extreme courage during this battle. Moropant Peshwa and Prataprao Sarnaubat exchanged pleasantries, suryarao Kakde became a martyr during this battle

9.
Kalsubai
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Kalsubai is a mountain of the Western Ghats range located in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Its summit situated at an elevation of 5400 feet is the highest point in Maharashtra which earns it the much glorified title of the Everest of Maharashtra, the mountain range lies within the Kalsubai Harishchandragad Wild-life Sanctuary. It is visited throughout the year by avid trekkers, kalsubai temple devotees, the mountain range was formed by the same historical events that gave birth to the Western Ghats. Resting on the Deccan Plateau geologically identified as a large igneous province, the mountain along with adjoining hills forms an enormous catchment area for the Arthur Lake which it overlooks. The mountain can be viewed, in its entirety, from Bari village located on its eastern side and it can be reached by road, via Igatpuri on the Mumbai-Nasik route. Trains leaving from Mumbai provide a mode of transport till Kasara railway station with connecting State transport buses, plying on the Akole-Kasara route. Private vehicles from Kasara provide yet another alternative to public transport, the Waki river, a tributary of Pravara, takes origin on its eastern slope and flows as a stream through the outer fringes of Bari. A short distance away from the stream a Hanuman temple has been built and this provides an important landmark to commence the trek as well as a resting post for those nearing the final lap of their trek. The route from behind this temple takes the hiker straight to the summit, the trek along this route is a mix of easy to ascend slopes as well as treacherous rocky outcrops overlooking the valley below. Considering the increasing foot fall in recent years, the government has built iron ladders along the hill slopes. These assist trekkers to allow for a convenient and safe ascent, the route via Indore is relatively unexplored as not many people are aware of it. The truncated summit provides a modest area of land which holds a sacred temple of a local deity. Local legend says that kalsubai was a house maid residing in a nearby Indorey village and she is believed to have disappeared near the mountain while trying to escape her employers relentless torment. This lends the mountain its current name as well as a reason for this temple to be built in her fond memory, a traditional prayer service is held every Tuesday and Thursday by a priest. During the festival of Navratri a fair comes to be organized each year with many stalls being set up near the summit to provide materials to the devotees. On these special occasions local villagers participate in this fair which helps to supplement their livelihood, Kalsubai comes to be protected under the precincts of a sanctuary. It nurtures nature in the vast stretches of forests nestled along their slopes and valleys. Open high-altitude forests dominate the scene, in the post-monsoon period the region witnessnes a dramatic makeover with flowers of different colors and varieties blossoming along the landscape. This attracts hoard of butterflies, bees, dragon-flies and other insects to feed upon the precious nectar, during winter mornings, reptiles like lizards and snakes could be spotted sun-bathing near the ladders. kalsubai is one of the peace point in maharashtra

10.
Western Ghats
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Western Ghats மேற்கு தொடர்ச்சி மலை is a mountain range that runs parallel to the western coast of the Indian peninsula, located entirely in India. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the eight hottest hot-spots of biological diversity in the world and it is sometimes called the Great Escarpment of India. The range runs north to south along the edge of the Deccan Plateau. These hills cover 160,000 km2 and form the catchment area for complex riverine drainage systems that drain almost 40% of India, the Western Ghats block southwest monsoon winds from reaching the Deccan Plateau. The average elevation is around 1,200 m, at least 325 globally threatened species occur in the Western Ghats. The Western Ghats are the mountainous faulted and eroded edge of the Deccan Plateau, geologic evidence indicates that they were formed during the break-up of the supercontinent of Gondwana some 150 million years ago. Geophysical evidence indicates that the west coast of India came into being somewhere around 100 to 80 mya after it broke away from Madagascar, after the break-up, the western coast of India would have appeared as an abrupt cliff some 1,000 m in elevation. Basalt is the predominant rock found in the reaching a thickness of 3 km. Other rock types found are charnockites, granite gneiss, khondalites, leptynites, metamorphic gneisses with detached occurrences of limestone, iron ore. Residual laterite and bauxite ores are found in the southern hills. The Western Ghats extend from the Satpura Range in the north and it traverses south past the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala. Major gaps in the range are the Goa Gap, between the Maharashtra and Karnataka sections, and the Palghat Gap on the Tamil Nadu and Kerala border between the Nilgiri Hills and the Anaimalai Hills. The mountains intercept the rain-bearing westerly monsoon winds, and are consequently an area of high rainfall, particularly on their western side. The northern portion of the coastal plain between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea is known as the Konkan, the central portion is called Kanara. The foothill region east of the Ghats in Maharashtra is known as Desh, the range is known as Sahyadri in Maharashtra and Karnataka. The Western Ghats meets the Eastern Ghats at Nilgiris in northwestern Tamil Nadu, Nilgiris connects Biligiriranga Hills in southeastern Karnataka with the Shevaroys and Tirumala hills. In the southern part of the range is Anamudi, the highest peak in Western Ghats, following is a list of some of the highest peaks of the Western Ghats, The Western Ghats form one of the four watersheds of India, feeding the perennial rivers of India. The major river systems originating in the Western Ghats include Godavari, Kaveri, Krishna, Thamiraparani, majority of streams draining the Western Ghats join these rivers and carry large volume of water during the monsoon months

11.
Abhona
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Abhona is a village in Kalwan tehsil of Nashik district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It belongs to the North Maharashtra region, Abhona is located 60 km towards north from district headquarters Nashik,12 km from Kalwan and 240 km from state capital Mumbai. Abhona is situated 760 meters above sea level, the vegetation and cold climate of Abhona makes this place good to live in. The Saptashrungi Gad which is one of the 52 Shakti Piths in India and 3 1/2 shakti piths in Maharashtra is situated 18 km far from Abhona. The Hill Station Saputara in Gujarat state, which is the cold climate place in that state, is only 30 km far from Abhona. Gujarat state border is 30 km towards Abhona, Abhona is situated on the banks of Girna river. Chankapur dam which is on Girna river is one of the biggest dam built by British in 19th century is only 3 km from Abhona, Abhona is surrounded by Baglan tehsil towards east, Dindori taluka towards south, Surgana towards west and Dang district towards north. Satana, Manmad, Kalwan, Nashik are the cities to Abhona. Dhodap hill fort which is 3rd highest peak in Maharashtra and one of the most popular climbing destination in Maharashtra is 16 km from Abhona. Marathi is the language in Abhona. There are many peoples from other states like Bihar, Rajasthan, UP, peoples who visited Abhona likes to live for some time because of cold climate and beautiful surroundings and greate atmosphere. Abhona is a beautiful Town on the Western Ghats, kalachuris, The Vishnukundins were, however, ousted from Maharashtra and Vidarbha by the Kalachuri king Krishnaraja, who rose to power in about A. D.550. He ruled from Mahishmati, modern Maheshvara, in the former Indore State and his coins have been found over a wide territory extending from Rajputana in the north to Maharashtra in the south in the village Devlana in the Baglan taluka of the Nasik district. The coins were known as Krishnarajarupakas and have mentioned in the Anjaneri plates dated in the year 461 of the Abhira era. They were therefore in circulation for at least 150 years after the time of Krishnaraja. Krishnarajawas succeeded by his son Shankaragana, whose copper plate, grant has been discovered at Abhona

12.
Sahyadris
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Western Ghats மேற்கு தொடர்ச்சி மலை is a mountain range that runs parallel to the western coast of the Indian peninsula, located entirely in India. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the eight hottest hot-spots of biological diversity in the world and it is sometimes called the Great Escarpment of India. The range runs north to south along the edge of the Deccan Plateau. These hills cover 160,000 km2 and form the catchment area for complex riverine drainage systems that drain almost 40% of India, the Western Ghats block southwest monsoon winds from reaching the Deccan Plateau. The average elevation is around 1,200 m, at least 325 globally threatened species occur in the Western Ghats. The Western Ghats are the mountainous faulted and eroded edge of the Deccan Plateau, geologic evidence indicates that they were formed during the break-up of the supercontinent of Gondwana some 150 million years ago. Geophysical evidence indicates that the west coast of India came into being somewhere around 100 to 80 mya after it broke away from Madagascar, after the break-up, the western coast of India would have appeared as an abrupt cliff some 1,000 m in elevation. Basalt is the predominant rock found in the reaching a thickness of 3 km. Other rock types found are charnockites, granite gneiss, khondalites, leptynites, metamorphic gneisses with detached occurrences of limestone, iron ore. Residual laterite and bauxite ores are found in the southern hills. The Western Ghats extend from the Satpura Range in the north and it traverses south past the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala. Major gaps in the range are the Goa Gap, between the Maharashtra and Karnataka sections, and the Palghat Gap on the Tamil Nadu and Kerala border between the Nilgiri Hills and the Anaimalai Hills. The mountains intercept the rain-bearing westerly monsoon winds, and are consequently an area of high rainfall, particularly on their western side. The northern portion of the coastal plain between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea is known as the Konkan, the central portion is called Kanara. The foothill region east of the Ghats in Maharashtra is known as Desh, the range is known as Sahyadri in Maharashtra and Karnataka. The Western Ghats meets the Eastern Ghats at Nilgiris in northwestern Tamil Nadu, Nilgiris connects Biligiriranga Hills in southeastern Karnataka with the Shevaroys and Tirumala hills. In the southern part of the range is Anamudi, the highest peak in Western Ghats, following is a list of some of the highest peaks of the Western Ghats, The Western Ghats form one of the four watersheds of India, feeding the perennial rivers of India. The major river systems originating in the Western Ghats include Godavari, Kaveri, Krishna, Thamiraparani, majority of streams draining the Western Ghats join these rivers and carry large volume of water during the monsoon months

13.
Hanuman
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Hanuman is an ardent devotee of Rama. He is one of the figures in the Hindu epic Ramayana. As one of the Chiranjivi, he is mentioned in several other texts, including the Mahabharata. Hanuman participated in Ramas war against the demon king Ravana, several later texts also present him as an incarnation of Shiva. He is the son of Anjana and Kesari and is described as the son of the wind-god Pawan. The Sanskrit texts mention several legends about how Hanuman got his name, one legend is that Indra, the king of the gods, struck Hanumans jaw during his childhood. The child received his name from the Sanskrit words Hanu and -man, the name thus means one with prominent or disfigured jaw. Another theory says the name derives from the Sanskrit words Han and maana, some Jain texts mention that Hanuman spent his childhood on an island called Hanuruha, which is the origin of his name. According to another theory, the name Hanuman derives from the word for male monkey. Linguistic variations of Hanuman include Hanumat, Anuman, Hanumantha, Hanumanthudu, other names of Hanuman include, Anjaneya, Anjaniputra, Anjaneyar, Anjaneyudu, Anjanisuta all meaning the son of Anjana. Similar in meaning to - Vaanaraanaamadheesham, shreeraamadootam, the one who is the messenger of Rama. Atulita Bala Dhaamam, the one who is the repository of incomparable strength, hemshailaabha Deham, the one whose body resembles a golden mountain. Danujvana Krushanum, the one who is the destroyer of forces of demons, gyaaninaam Agraganyam, the one who is considered foremost among knowledgeable beings. Sakala Guna Nidhaanam, the one who is the repository of all the virtues, raghupati Priya Bhaktam, the one who is the dearest of all devotees to Rama. Sankata Mochana, the one who liberates from dangers In the 3rd chapter of Kishkindha Kaanda of Valmiki Ramayana, summarized as follows, Ablest sentence maker. The knower of all Vedas and Scriptures, scholar in nine schools of grammars. Possessing faultless speech and facial features Hanuman is mentioned in both the Hindu epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, the word Vrsakapi or Vrishakapi, later used as an epithet for Hanuman, is mentioned in the Rigveda. Some writers, such as Nilakantha believe that the Vrishakapi of Rigveda alludes to Hanuman, however, other scholars believe that Hanuman is not mentioned in the Vedic mythology, the Vrsakapi of Rigveda refers to another deity or is a common name for the monkeys

14.
Madhavrao Peshwa
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Madhav Rao I was the fourth Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. During his tenure, the Maratha empire recovered from the losses suffered during the Third Battle of Panipat. He is considered one of the greatest Peshwas in Maratha history, Madhavrao was second son of Nanasaheb Peshwa. He was born in Savnur in 1745, at the time of his birth, Maratha Empire was stretched across a sizeable portion of Western, Central and Northern India. On December 09,1753, Madhavrao married Ramabai in Pune, Nanasaheb had greatly expanded the Maratha Empire and had tried to establish better governance. However, he was partially responsible for the severe defeat of the Marathas by Ahmad Shah Abdali at the Third Battle of Panipat. The Marathas suffered heavy losses including Nanasahebs eldest son and heir Vishwasrao, unable to bear the suffering, he died of depression on June 23,1761 at Parvati in Pune. After his fathers death, the sixteen-year-old Madhav Rao was made the next Peshwa of Maratha Empire and his fathers brother Raghunathrao was to act as regent. At the ascendancy of Madhavrao, the Maratha empire was in shambles as their defeat at Panipat had accumulated big debts to their wealth. At Shaniwar Wada, the residence of Peshwa, religious rituals. The discipline required for the running of administrative affairs was almost non-existent. The security at the treasury was poor, when these weaknesses were brought to Madhavrao’s notice and he introduced changes by personally looking into the administration, accounts and the treasury. He also reduced the religious practices being followed at Shaniwar Wada, in February 1762, Peshwas set out to conquer Karnataka. This was one of the earliest wars against the Nizam when conflict arose between Madhavrao and his uncle Raghunathrao, due to difference of opinion between the two, Raghunathrao decided to abandon the troop midway and return to Pune, while Madhavrao continued. Eventually, a treaty was signed with the Nizam and Madhavrao returned, both Madhavrao and Raghunathrao had their preferences even over the Sardars. The discord between Madhavrao and Raghunathrao was increasing and on August 22,1762, Raghunathrao fled to Vadgaon Maval where he started grooming his own army, raghunathraos men started looting the nearby villages for warfare and this act angered Madhavrao. He decided to wage a war against his uncle Ragunathrao on November 07,1762, however, Madhavrao didnt wish to battle against his own uncle and thus, proposed for a treaty. Raghunathrao agreed to sign the treaty with Madhavrao and asked him to back to a non-attacking position

15.
Pune
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Pune is the second largest city in the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ninth most populous city in the country. In the 18th century, Pune was the centre of the Indian subcontinent. Considered to be the capital of Maharashtra, Pune is known as Oxford of the East due to the presence of several well-known educational institutions in the city. The city has emerged as an educational hub in recent decades. Since the 1950s and 1960s, Pune has had a traditional old-economic base as most of the old industries continue to grow, a few college in the Europe have also actively engaged in Student-exchange programs with several colleges in Pune. Pune is also one of the fastest growing cities in the Asia-Pacific region, the ‘Mercer 2015 Quality of Living rankings’ evaluated local living conditions in more than 440 cities around the world where Pune ranked at 145, second in India after Hyderabad. It also highlights Pune among evolving business centres and emerging nine cities around the world with citation Hosts IT, the oldest reference to the place is found inscribed on a Rashtrakuta Dynasty copper plate dated AD937, which refers to the town as Punya-Vishaya meaning Sacred News. By the 13th century, it had come to be known as Punawadi, copper plates dated 858 AD and 868 AD show that by the 8th century an agricultural settlement known as Punnaka existed where Pune is today. The plates indicate that this region was ruled by the Rashtrakuta dynasty, the Pataleshwar rock-cut temple complex was built during this era. Pune was part of the territory ruled by Seuna Yadavas of Devagiri from the 9th century to 1327, in 1595, Maloji Raje Bhosale was granted the jagirdari of Pune by the Ahmadnagar Sultanate. Pune was ruled by the Ahmadnagar Sultanate until it was annexed by the Mughals in the 17th century, Pune was part of the Jagir granted to Maloji Bhosale in 1599 for his services to the Nizamshahi of Ahmadnagar. His grandson, Shivaji, the founder of Maratha Empire, was born in Shivneri fort not far from Pune, Shivaji was brought up by his mother in Pune. Pune changed hands several times between the Mughals and the Marathas in the period between 1660 and 1705 and he stabilised the revenue collection and administrative systems of areas around Pune and in neighbouring area of the Maval region. In addition, he developed methods to manage disputes and to enforce law. Construction on the Lal Mahal began in 1631 AD, the Lal Mahal was completed in 1640 AD. Jijabai is said to have commissioned the building of the Kasba Ganapati temple, the Ganesha idol consecrated at this temple has been regarded as the presiding deity of the city. Shivaji encouraged the development of dams in the Parvati and Kondhwa regions of Pune for agricultural purposes, Pune and its surrounding villages were the major recruitment areas for Shivajis army between 1645 AD and 1680 AD. Between 1660 AD and 1670 AD the town was captured by Mughal General Shahista Khan, Shivaji often used Pune as his transit base during his major campaigns such as Varhad-Karanja, AhemadaNagar District, Karnataka, and Jalna

16.
Ahmednagar district
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Ahmednagar district is the largest district of Maharashtra state in western India. The historical Ahmednagar city is the headquarters of the district, Ahmednagar was the seat of the Ahmednagar Sultanate of late medieval period. This district is known for the towns of Shirdi associated with Sai Baba, Ahmednagar district is part of Nashik Division. The neighbouring districts to Ahmednagar district are Solapur, Osmanabad, Beed, Aurangabad, Nashik, Thane, Ahmednagar District was created after the defeat of the Maratha Confederacy in the Third Anglo-Maratha War in 1818, when most of the Peshwas domains were annexed to British India. The district remained part of the Central division of Bombay Presidency until Indias independence in 1947, when it became part of Bombay State, in 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Ahmednagar one of the countrys 250 most backward districts. It is one of the districts in Maharashtra currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme. Ahmednagar is Maharashtra’s most advanced district in many ways and it has the maximum number of sugar factories, perhaps to spread the message of “Rural Prosperity through Cooperation” it gave the country half a century ago. The first cooperative sugar factory in Asia was established at Pravanagar, a role model of water conservation work can be seen at Ralegaon-Siddhi, which is also called the Ideal Village. Newase where Dnyaneshwari was written, Shri Saibaba’s Shirdi, one of Ashtavinayaks at Siddhatek, the Palace of Chandbibi, the Bhandardara dam, the Maldhok sanctuary and the Rehkuri sanctuary are some of the places of tourist attraction. Ahmednagar district consists of fourteen talukas and these talukas are Ahmednagar district has twelve Vidhan Sabha constituencies, six in each of the two parliamentary constituencies. Sangamner is much developed city than Shrirampur, ralegaon Siddhi is a village in the district that is considered a model of environmental conservation. In the 2001 India census, Ahmednagar district had a population of 4,040,642, at that time the district was 19. 89% urban. Males represented 51. 55% of the population, and females 48. 45%, according to census, Hindus were 84%, Muslims 7%, Christians 4% and others were 4%. In the 2011 census Ahmednagar district recorded a population of 4,543,083 and this gave it a ranking of 33rd among the districts of India. The district had a density of 266 inhabitants per square kilometre. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 12. 43%, ahmadnagar had a sex ratio of 934 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 80. 22%. Islam arrived in Ahmednagar during the Tughlaq dynasty, there are many Muslim monuments like Chand Bibi Mahal, Faria Baug, Ground Fort and many dargas, and they are found in main town and cities. Christianity arrived in the 18th century when the British took over the area from the Maratha empire onwards, christianity has been Ahmednagars third-largest religion, found all over the district except in the south-west

17.
Ahmednagar Fort
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The Ahmednagar Fort is located beside on Bhingar River near Bhingar and ahmednagarrAhmednagar, Maharashtra. It was the headquarters of the Ahmednagar Sultanate, in 1803, it was taken by the British in during the Second Anglo-Maratha War. It was used as a prison during the British Raj, currently, the fort is under the administration of the Armoured Corps of the Indian Army. In 1803 the Ahmednagar Fort was round in appearance, with bastions, one large gate. The berm was only one yard wide. The rampart was of black stone, the parapet of brick in chunam. The bastions were all about 4 1⁄2 feet higher, they were round, one of them mounted eight guns en barbet, pointing eastward, all the rest had jingies, four in each. In 1803 two guns were visible in each bastion, and 200 were said to be ready in the fort to be mounted, a gunshot to the west of the fort was the Pettah of Ahmednagar. The main gate of the fort faced the pettah, and was defended by a small work, with one traverse. There was a bridge over the ditch, which could be taken away in time of war. A small river came from the northward, round the west side of the pettah, a nullah also passed from the northward, between the fort and a town called Bhingar, about a gunshot to the eastward, and joined the river. A potential defensive weakness was a hill or rising ground close to and east of Bhingar. There were no passages across the ditch from the sally ports, the nullah mentioned above, had steep banks and passed within 60 yards of the fort, the aqueduct from Bhingar passed under it. There was no bridge or even a prominent crossing point at the nullah, there were many small pagodas and mosques round the pettah and the fort, but none exactly between, or between the fort and Bhingar, or nearer to the fort than those towns. The fort was built by Malik Ahmad Nizam Shah I in 1427 CE and he was the first sultan of the Nizam Shahi dynasty and he built the fort to defend the city against invaders from neighbouring Idar. Initially it was made of mud but major fortification began in 1559 under Hussain Nizam Shah and it took four years and was finally finished in 1562. In 1596, Chand Bibi the queen regent successfully repulsed the Mughal invasion, aurangzeb died at Ahmednagar fort at the age of 88 on February 20,1707. After Aurangzebs death the fort passed to the Nizams in 1724, to Marathas in 1759, during the period of instability in the Maratha Empire following the death of Madhavrao II, Daulat Scindia had the fort and its surrounding region ceded to him

18.
Harishchandragad
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Harishchandragad is a hill fort in the Ahmednagar district of India. Its history is linked with that of Malshej Ghat, kothale village, remnants of Microlithic man have been discovered here. The various Puranas like Matsyapurana, Agnipurana and Skandapurana include many references about Harishchandragad and its origin is said to have been in the 6th century, during the rule of Kalachuri dynasty. The citadel was built during this era, the various caves probably have been carved out in the 11th century. In these caves are idols of Lord Vishnu, though the cliffs are named Taramati and Rohidas, they are not related to Ayodhya. Great sage Changdev, used to meditate here in the 14th century, the caves are from the same period. The various constructions on the fort and those existing the surrounding region point to the existence of diverse cultures here and they was control the fort before the Moguls. Later the fort was under the control of Moguls, the Marathas captured it in 1747. To the east of the temple is a lake called “Saptatirtha”. On its bank are temple-like constructions in which there are idols of Lord Vishnu, Recently these idols have been shifted in the caves near the temple of Harishchandreshwar. These days many trekkers have been responsible for the sad plight of this place, as they throw plastic wastes. 7 years back the water was potable, and now it isnt suitable even to swim, going rightwards of Harishchandreshwar temple, there is the huge cave of Kedareshwar, in which there is a big Shiva Linga, which is completely surrounded by water. Its height from the base is five feet, and the water is waist-deep and it is quite difficult to reach the Shiva Linga because the water is ice-cold. There are sculptures carved out here, in the monsoon it is not possible to reach this cave, as a huge stream flows across the way. As can be seen from the picture, there is a rock above the Shiva Linga. There were four pillars built around the Shiva Linga, the pillars wear made surrounded by the Shiva linga as for support as cave. Another interesting thing about this place is that water seeps into this temple from the four walls on an everyday basis, and owing to the water being very cold, its difficult to reach inside too. The water continues to seep in during all the seasons in the year, except during rainy season and surprisingly and this cliff faces west and looks down upon the Konkan

19.
Patta Fort
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Patta Fort, or Patta Killa, also known as Vishramgad, is a fort situated between Nasik and Ahmadnagar in Maharashtra. Shivaji Maharaj once visited and rested there, the residents of Patta Killa are known as Pattekar, meaning residents of Fort Patta. The height of Patta Fort from sea level is approximately 1,392 Meters and this fort was in the Bahamani Empire. In 1490 when the Bahamani Empire was torn into pieces, this fort was captured by Nizam of Ahmednagar, in 1627 this fort was won by Moghuls. In 1671 Moropant Pingale captured this fort but, it was recaptured by Moghuls in 1672. In 1675 this fort was captured again by Moropant Pingale, Patta used to be at the border of the Swarajya. Shivaji Maharaj arrived at this fort in November 1679 after winning Jalnapur and it was because of the skill of Bahirji Naik, head of the detective department that Maharaj, that he was able to reach Patta safely. On 11 January 1688, this fort was captured by Moghul army headed by Matabarkhan and he appointed Govindsingh of Bhagur as the chief of the fort. This fort was captured by Peshwas, in 1818 this fort was won by the British. This fort is very easy to climb, there is a Rajwada near the site of the fort, but has fallen into disarray and ruin as a result of a lack of care. The Pattai Devi Mandir is constructed by villagers on the fort, the Trymbak Darwaja is also in good condition. Patta Fort also has a shrine of Shri Laxmangiri Maharaj in the caves near the village of Pattawadi, on the day of full moon, the disciples of Laxmangiri Maharaj gather at these caves. The Ambarkhana is a big hall newly reconstructed and it can accommodate about 200 visitors for night stay. There is a rock cut cistern near Ambarkhana, the forest department with the help of villages has developed the pathways, steps and gazebo on the fort. There are many windmills on the way to Pattewadi constructed by Enercon

20.
Ratangad
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Ratangad is a fort in Ratan Wadi, Maharashtra, India, overlooking the locale of Bhandardara, one of the oldest artificial catchment area. This fort is located in the Ahmadnagar district of Maharashtra and it is on the boundary of Ahmadnagar and Thane districts. The fort is about 2000 years old and this fort is covered with beautiful flowering plants in November. Ratangad is also called Jewels of the Fort, Ratangad has a natural rock peak with a cavity in it at the top which is called Nedhe or Eye of the Needle. The fort has four gates Ganesh, Hanuman, Konkan and Trimbak. The sculptures of Lord Ganesh and Hanuman are seen on the main gate and it also has many wells on the top. The main attraction at Ratanwadi is the Amruteshwar Temple, famous for its carvings, the fort is origin for the river Pravara/Amrutvahini. The Bhandardara dam is built on this river. From the top of the neighbouring forts like Alang, kulang, Madan gad, Harishchandragad. The view of entire Bhandardara dam gives sheer pleasure. There are many rock cut cisterns on the fort. Some of them store potable water throughout the year. There is a hole in the mountain top probably caused by wind erosion. It is 10 feet high and 60 feet wide, the fort is 2000 years old. Ratangad was captured by Chhatrapati Shivaji Raje Bhosle, There are two main routes to reach the fort. One route starts from village Samrad and the other from village Ratanwadi, the base village Ratanwadi is approached by boat from Bhandardara or by road from Ghoti-Bhandardara road. This route enthralls the trekkers with joy of seeing the natural beauty, the entire fort can be seen by taking a path which moves around the ridge of the fort. A small group of people can make a overnight stay in the cave on the fort. Gadkot - Bhagwan Chile, Shivsparsha Prakashan, Kolhapur Travelogues, Trek to Ratangad Trek to Ratangad and Bhandardara

21.
Akola district
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Akola is a district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The city of Akola is the district headquarters, Akola district forms the central part of Amravati Division, which was the former British Raj Berar Province. Area of the district is 5,431 km² and it is bounded on the north by Amravati District, to the east by Amravati District and by Washim District, to the south by Washim District, and to the west by Buldhana District. Washim was earlier a part of Akola till 1999, the Purna River forms the part of north boundary of the district, and the top north portion of the district lies within its watershed along with Aas River and Shahnur River. The Vaan River forms the part of northwest boundary of the district after entering from the Amravati district. The Mun River drains the southwestern portion of the district, Morna River drains the midsouth portion of the district, while the southeast is drained by the Katepurna River, bhatkar, Architect of Indias First Super Computer. Akola district shows a variation in its climate along the North-South direction. Akola district mainly features Tropical Savannah Climate, but the Northern parts of the district consisting of hills and mountains that are raised to about 950 to 1000 meters shows a subtropical climate featuring heavily cold winters. The summers are hot while the winters are dry and very cold the temperature may drop to or below 2 °C. The district has recorded a temperature of 2 °C while a maximum of 47.7 °C. Akola has recorded a temperature of 11.9 °C in the month of May which is considered to be the hottest month in the state of Maharashtra. According to the 2011 census Akola district has a population of 1,818,617 and this gives it a ranking of 262nd in India. The district has a density of 321 inhabitants per square kilometre. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 11. 6%, Akola has a sex ratio of 942 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 87. 55%. Languages used in the district include Andh, an Indo-Aryan language spoken by 100,000 people, Akola District consists of talukas namely Akot, Telhara, Akola, Balapur, Patur, Barshitakli and Murtajapur. Important railway stations with their codes are Paras, Gaigaon, Akola Junction, cotton and Jawar are the predominant crops grown in the district. Oil and Dal mills are also rampant, the economy is mostly agriculture based. Nowadays, soyabean crop is an important crop as major soyabean plants have come up in the area, make In Maharashtra Akola district official website

22.
Akola Fort
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Akola fort along with the Narnala and Akot forts forms the major fortifications of the Akola district, Maharashtra, India. Its earliest form of mud was made by one Akol Singh to protect the village and he saw a hare chasing a dog and considering this to be an auspicious sign, he built an earthen wall here to protect the village. Akola was heavily fortified in 1697 CE during the reign of Aurangzeb by Asad Khan, in 1803, Arthur Wellesley camped here before proceeding to win the Battle of Argaon in the Second Anglo-Maratha War. The fortress was dismantled by the British Raj in about 1870 and it was reported in 1910 in a district gazetteer that the central part of the fort was used as a school. Akola fort is notable in that it is bereft of any decorative embellishments, there are several inscriptions on the fort. An inscription on the Dahi handa gate gives its date of construction as 1114 AH deepak, another on the Fateh Buruj bastion has no exact date. It too mentions the same minister but a different emperor, one on the Eidgah contains texts and a statement that the building was finished by Khawja Abdul Latif in 1116 AH. On the Agarves gate an inscription in Marathi reads that Govind Appaji in 1843 CE constructed the fort, the latter statement contradicts all the other inscriptions. Akola’s oldest Shiva temple is Rajeshwar Mandir, the Shiv temple was built by Chola Empire king Raj Rajeswar. While King Akolsingh was living in the Asadgad Fort, there is a story associated with this payas temple. Every night his queen went to temple to worship Lord Shiva at midnight. Once King Akolsingh thought that his queen was going out at midnight for illicit reasons, so he followed her with a sword, so she pleaded to be allowed into Shivas Pind. The Shiva ling broke in two parts and the queen jumped in, and then it was closed, the king understood his mistake and could not forgive himself. Still the Shiva ling in this temple has a crack which is said to corroborate this story. This temple is the base aastha of this Akola city, there are 2 bridges, the first one is the dagadi pool and the other is lokhand pool. This iron bridge was built at the time of British rule

23.
Narnala
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Narnala, also known as Shanur Fort, is a hill fortress in Maharashtra, India, named after the Rajput Ruler Narnal Singh. The fort was first established in 10 A. D. by Gond Kings, in the 15th Century it was occupied and rebuilt by the Mughals, becoming one of Berar Subahs thirteen sarkar. It consists of three forts, Zafarabad fort on the east, Narnala in the centre and Teliagarh to the west. Occupied since at least the Khilji dynasty, the fort is known for the Muslim saint Hazrat Burhanuddin Bagh Sawar Wali. Adli Beg or Atalu Beg carved many Arabic inscriptions into the fort and it is also the birthplace of the Mughal Aurangzebs great grandson. The fort is located in the Akot Taluka Akola district, Berar at coordinates of 20.703 N and 76.997 E, the closest city is Akot, which is 18 km away. It is at the southernmost tip of the Satpura Hills at an elevation of 912 meters above sea level, currently the fort falls within the Melghat Tiger Reserve. After his expedition across the Gangetic plains in 1017, of Al-Biruni to compose his Tarikh Al-Hind in order to understand the Indians and their beliefs. Mughals recreated the Narnala Fort with Mughal architecture and built mosque at the fort. Through the route of Shahnoor fort he was stay here threefold night and pray. Ahmad Shah Bahamani got the fort repaired around 1425 when he constructed Gavilgad with a view to obstructing the invaders from the frontier of his kingdom. Nearly all the present buildings seem to be of Islamic origin, the fort passed on to Fathullah Imad-ul-Mulk when he became an independent ruler by 1490 as he was the Subhedar of Berar under the Bahamanis. Gavilgad also passed on to him, Burhan Imad Shah was imprisoned on this fort by one of his Amirs Tufalkhan who crowned himself. In the battle that was fought between Tufalkhan and Murtaza Nizam Shah in 1572 Tufalkhan was defeated and had to flee and took asylum with Muhammad Shah of Khandesh, the fort was invested by the army of Murtaza. The fort surrendered and Tufalkhan and also Burhan Imad Shah were imprisoned along with 40 others and they were confined in the fort of Lohagad where they died while in captivity. Some historians say that all of them were poisoned under the orders of Murtaza Nizam Shah, the fort can now ho ascended by a motorable road. About halfway up it crosses first one and then another piece of level ground, the path passes two other strong gateways and one slighter one before entering the heart of the fort, and climbs meanwhile to the uppermost glials. Between the last two gateways are the tombs of Bagh Savar Wali and Gaz Badshah. Wali, the not only rode a tiger in his life but the old Gazetteer slates even now a tiny white tiger may be seen at night going to

24.
Amravati district
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Amravati District is a District of Maharashtra state in central India. Amravati is the headquarters of the district. The district is situated between 20°32 and 21°46 north latitudes and 76°37 and 78°27 east longitudes, the district occupies an area of 12,235 km². In 1853, the territory of Amravati district as a part of Berar Province was assigned to the British East India Company. After the Company took over the administration of the province, it was divided into two districts, the present-day territory of the district became part of North Berar district, with headquarters at Buldhana. Later, the province was reconstituted and the territory of the present district became part of East Berar district, in 1864, Yavatmal District was separated. In 1867, Ellichpur District was separated but in August,1905, in 1903, it became part of the newly constituted province of Central Provinces and Berar. In 1956, Amravati district became part of Bombay State and after its bifurcation in 1960, the climate is tropical and most people wear cotton clothes. It is one of the districts in Maharashtra currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme. Amravati is the growing region for the Ellachipur Sanman Chili pepper. Anjangaon Surji & Achalpur is famous for growing betel leaves, piper longum, orange, Warud, Morshi, Chandur bazar and Achalpur are famous for growing Nagpuri oranges. The Wardha River forms the boundary of the district. The Purna River drains the southwestern portion of the district, while the northwest is drained by the Tapti River, other important rivers are Shahanoor and Chandrabhaga. The Purna, rises near Bhainsdehi in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh in the Satpudas, after flowing for about 50 km in a general southerly and south-easterly direction enters the district. It travels across the district in a south-westerly direction dividing it into two halves, first through the Achalpur taluka and then along the boundary between the Amravati and Daryapur talukas. Finally, it turns due westwards forming the boundary of the district, the only significant left bank tributary of the Purna is the Pedhi. The first of the right bank tributaries is the Arna. The next is a river known as the Bodi

25.
Gawilghur
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Gawilghur was a well-fortified mountain stronghold of the Maratha Empire north of the Deccan Plateau, in the vicinity of Melghat Tiger Reserve, Amravati District, Maharashtra. It was successfully assaulted by an Anglo-Indian force commanded by Arthur Wellesley on 15 December 1803 during the Second Anglo-Maratha War, the fort takes its name from the Gawli who inhabited the Berar for centuries. Earlier the fort was likely just made of mud as were several areas in the region. Likely this was the date when major fortification was carried out, in 1803 during the 2nd Maratha War the fort was besieged by Arthur Wellesley. The Scots then forced the northern gatehouse and opened the many gates, the British suffered few casualties in the final assault. The fortress was returned to the Marathas after making peace with the British, the fort has several inscriptions in Persian recording the date of building of each of its seven gates. It has two water tanks, which would have been the water source in case the fort was besieged. Within the fort the ruins of a mosque are the most conspicuous and it stands at the highest point in the inner fort and is built in the Pathan style of architecture. The mosque has a canopy with intricate stone lattice work. The mosque originally had two minarets, only one of which is intact today, gafur Ahmed, a jaglia of the Narnala fort, tried to determine whether the chambers built into the fort of Narnala had any use by driving 20 sheep into them. One of the turned up at Gawilgarh which is more than 20 miles away. So, probably there is a tunnel connecting the two forts. There are several unrepaired breaches made by British guns, which remain to this day, the gun that killed five attackers with a single shot still stands, although now with graffiti running the length of the barrel. Capture of Gawilghur List of forts in Maharashtra

26.
Aurangabad district, Maharashtra
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Aurangabad District, also called one of the 36 districts of Maharashtra state in western India. It is bordered by the districts of Nashik to the west, Jalgaon to the north, Jalna to the east, Aurangabad is the headquarters and principal city. The district covers an area of 10,100 km², out of which 141.1 km² is urban area and 9,958.9 km² is rural, Aurangabad district is a major tourism region in Marathwada. Aurangabad District is located mainly in the Godavari River Basin and partly in the Tapi River Basin, the district is located between 19 and 20 degrees north longitude, and 74 and 76 degrees east latitude. Geologically the whole area is covered by the Deccan Trap lava flows of upper Cretaceous to lower Eocene age, the basaltic lava flows belonging to the Deccan Trap are the only major geological formation. The traps are overlain by alluvial deposits along the major rivers. The lava flows are horizontal and each flow has two distinct units, the upper layers consist of vesicular and amygdule zeolitic basalt, while the bottom layer consists of massive basalt. The Narangi rises on the slopes of the water divide to the south of the Maniyad river, a little above Naral village. Below the latter it is joined by the Deo nala, flowing from Nasik district and it has a fairly long south-southwesterly course before its point of entry into the Godavari is carried a little down the latter. It is joined by the Chor nala from the west and Kurla nala from the east, actually the Narangi continues the trend of the Kurla river after the latter’s confluence. In Aurangabad district the rainy season runs from June to September, winter is from approximately October to February and summer from March to May. The average rainfall of Aurangabad district is 734 mm, and the range is about 6–46 degree celsius. Companies operating out of Aurangabad District include, Bajaj Auto Ltd Videocon Industries Pvt, Ltd Skoda Auto P Ltd, Seimens Ltd. Crompton Greaves Ltd Dhoot Transmission Pvt, Ltd Major manufacturing companies include, Bajaj Auto Limited Garware Polyester Videocon Industries Ltd. Skoda Audi assembly Siemens Perkins Hindalco Varroc Endurance Ceat Goodyear Orchid Lupin Ajanta Pharma Sabmiller Fosters Cosmo Films Ltd. Grind Master Machines Pvt Ltd Greaves Forbes Gokak Forbes Marshall Lombardini Aurangabad has the following MIDC areas, Waluj, Shendra five star MIDC, Chikalthana, Paithan, there is a software technology park in Chikalthana MIDC. The district comprises nine tehsils, Kannad, Soygaon, Sillod, Phulambri, Aurangabad, Khultabad, Vaijapur, Gangapur and Paithan. Nine Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha constituencies are located in district, Sillod, Kannad, Pulambri, Aurangabad Central, Aurangabad West, Aurangabad East, Paithan

27.
Daulatabad, Maharashtra
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Daulatabad also known as Devagiri, is a town which includes the Devagiri-Daulatabad fort It is a 14th-century fort city in Maharashtra state of India, about 16 kilometres northwest of Aurangabad. The place was originally named Devagiri when it was an important uplands city along caravan routes, however it is also considered to be one of the seven wonders of Maharashtra and a developing tourist spot. The historical triangular fort of Daulatabad was built by first Yadav king Bhilan in 1187, there is a belief that Devagiri was built in 1203 AD by a Dhangar or herdsman who acquired vast wealth by his good fortune. He had a brother who was a shepherd named Raja Ram, lord Shiva is believed to have been stayed on the hills surrounding this region. Hence the fort was known as Devagiri literally. The area of the city includes the hill-fortress of Devagiri and it stands on a conical hill, about 200 meters high. Much of the slopes of the hill has been cut away by Yadava dynasty rulers to leave 50 meter vertical sides to improve defenses. The fort is a place of extraordinary strength, at the summit, and at intervals on the slope, are specimens of massive old cannon facing out over the surrounding countryside. Also at the mid way, there is a cave entrance meant to confuse the enemies, Daulatabad fort was one the most powerful forts of the medieval Deccan. The fort was built by the Seuna king Bhillama V in 1187 AD, the region was then called Devgiri or Deogiri. The fort had the following specialities which are listed along with their advantages,1, no separate exit from the fort, only one entrance/exit - This is designed to confuse the enemy soldiers to drive deep into the fort in search of an exit, at their own peril. No parallal gates - This is designed to break the momentum of theconfusing the invading army, also, the flag mast is on the left hill, which the enemy will try to capitualte, thus will always turn left. But the real gates of the fort are on the right & the false ones on the left, spikes on the gates - In the era before gun-powder, intoxicated elephants were used as a battering ram to break open the gates. The presence of spikes ensured that the elephants died of injury, the hill is shaped like a smooth tortoise back - this prevented the use of mountain lizards as climbers, because they cannot stick on it. However, Allauddin Khilji sent his slave general Malik Kafur to conquer Deccan and he laid a seize around the fort in 1295 AD, being unable to capture it by force. Finally he bribed the son -in-law of the then king Ramachandra, eventually Ramachandra was defeated & forced to being a vassal to Alauddin Khilji. He was also given the Gujrat and one of his daughters and this alliance was to prove to be of great value to Alauddin in his further aggrandizement in Deccan. But, after the death of Rai Ramachandra in 1315, his sons threw off the yoke of Delhi, Malik Kafur quickly came and crushed the rebellion and assumed direct administration of the area

28.
Dhule District
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Dhule district is a district of Maharashtra state in western region of India. The city of Dhule is the headquarters of the district. The Dhule district previously comprised tracts of land inhabited by tribal population. The Dhule district was bifurcated on 1 July 1998 into two separate districts now known as Dhule and Nandurbar, the latter comprising the tribal region. Agriculture remains the basic profession of the population in this district, most parts of the district are not under irrigation and thus cultivation heavily depends on regular Monsoon or rain water. Apart from wheat, bajra, jowar or jwari, onion the most favored commercial crop is cotton, majority of the population in the rural area speaks Ahirani language, however Marathi is more widely spoken in the urban areas. Around 26. 11% population of Dhule district resides in urban area, Dhule district is famous for the production of pure milk. Milk cattle used to be fed with cotton pend, which would produce rich quality milk, customers in Delhi once upon a time used to wait for the delivery of milk from here. Dondaicha in this district is the town in the State to produce glucose, sugar. District is also famous for production and market of chilies, the Dhule District is a part of Maharashtras historical region of Khandesh. Although for administrative purpose it is now clubbed to Nashik Division, the district of Dhulia was previously known as West Khandesh district. The ancient name of region was Rasika. It is bounded on the east by Berar, on the north by the Nemad district and on the south by the Aurangabad, later the country came to be called as Seunadesa after the king, Seunchandra of the early Yadava dynasty, who ruled over it. Subsequently its name was changed to Khandesh to suit the title given to the Faruqi kings by King Ahmad I of Gujarat. During Aryan penetration to the Deccan, Agastya was the first Aryan who crossed Vindhya and this territory was included in the empire of Ashoka. Pushyamitra, the founder of Shunga dynasty overthrew Maurya dynasty, later on Satavahan ruled over the region. About A. D.250, the Satavahans were supplanted by the Abhiras or Ahirs in Western Maharashtra, the names of feudatories of Abhiras that ruled in Khandesh was found from copperplates discovered at Kalachala and Cave X5II at Ajanta. After downfall of Satavahans the Vakatakas rose to power in Vidarbha, the Vakatakas were over thrown by Rastrakuta family

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Laling Fort
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Laling Qila is a small fort situated in the present day Dhule district of Maharashtra state in India. The fort is situated on top of Laling hill about 9.65 km south of Dhule city and it was one of the important forts in the Khandesh region during the time of the Faruqi Kings. It is a place of antiquity and the fort is supposed to have been built during the reign of the first of the Faruqi Kings. The fact that this fort and not that of Thalner was granted by Malik Raja to his eldest son would show that Laling was his chief fort. It was in this fort that Nasir Khan and his son Miran Adil Khan were besieged in 1437 by the Bahamani general till they were relieved by an army advancing from Gujarat. Early in the century it is mentioned more than once in connection with the movements of the Mughal troops Deccan campaigns. In 1862, the fort is described, as strongly situated with very few defences left. This fort was on the historical Surat-Burhanpur commercial road, around the fort is a small village called as Laling village with 1,549 inhabitants in 1961. Laling besides the fort has two Hemadpanthi temples in dilapidated condition, There is also a mined hemadpanti well. Presently the fort is in a ruined and collapsed state and it offers a panoramic view of Dhule city. There is a Lilitamata temple at the top of the Fort. There are several rock cut cisterns on the fort. The escape gate is on the side of the gate which leads to a semicircular dam with a Chatri nearby. The Laling village is located 9.65 km from the Dhule city on a busy Mumbai-Agra NH3 Highway. The path from the old hemadpanti temple leads to the fort, after climbing halfway there are steps to climb up the fort. The climbing is very easy and gentle, list of forts in Maharashtra Khandesh

30.
Kolhapur district
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Kolhapur district is in Maharashtra state. The city of Kolhapur is the district headquarters, as of 2011, the district had population of 3,876,001, of which 33% were urban. According to the 2011 census Kolhapur district has a population of 3,874,015, the district has a population density of 504 inhabitants per square kilometre. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 9. 96%, Kolhapur has a sex ratio of 953 females for every 1000 males. The district has two centres of tourism, the Mahalaxmi temple in the town of Kolhapur and the Bahubali statue and festival at Atigre village. i

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Panhala Fort
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Panhala fort, is located in Panhala,20 kilometres northwest of Kolhapur in Maharashtra, India. It is strategically located looking over a pass in the Sahyadri mountain range which was a trade route from Bijapur in the interior of Maharashtra to the coastal areas. Here, the regent of Kolhapur State, Tarabai, spent her formative years. Several parts of the fort and the structures within are still intact, Panhala fort was built between 1178 and 1209 CE, one of 15 forts built by the Shilahara ruler Bhoja II. It is said that aphorism Kahaan Raja Bhoj, kahan Gangu Teli is associated with this fort, a copper plate found in Satara shows that Raja Bhoja held court at Panhala from 1191–1192 CE. About 1209–10, Bhoja Raja was defeated by Singhana, the most powerful of the Devgiri Yadavas, apparently it was not well looked after and it passed through several local chiefs. In 1376 inscriptions record the settlement of Nabhapur to the south-east of the fort and it was an outpost of the Bahamanis of Bidar. Mahmud Gawan, a prime minister, encamped here during the rainy season of 1469. On the establishment of the Adil Shahi dynasty of Bijapur in 1489 and they built the strong ramparts and gateways of the fort which, according to tradition, took a hundred years to build. Numerous inscriptions in the fort refer to the reign of Ibrahim Adil Shah, in 1659, after the death of the Bijapur general Afzal Khan, in the ensuing confusion Shivaji Maharaj took Panhala from Bijapur. In May 1660, to win back the fort from Shivaji, Shivaji Maharaj fought back and they could not take the fort. The siege continued for 5 months, at the end of all provisions in the fort were exhausted. Under these circumstances, Shivaji Maharaj decided that escape was the only option and he gathered a small number of soldiers along with his trusted commander Baji Prabhu Deshpande and, on 13 July 1660, they escaped in the dead of night to flee to Vishalgad. Baji Prabhu and a barber, Shiva Kashid, who looked like Shivaji Maharaj, kept the enemy engaged, in the ensuing battle, almost three quarters of the one thousand strong force died, including Baji Prabhu himself. The fort went to Adil Shah and it was not until 1673 that Shivaji Maharaj could occupy it permanently. Sambhaji, Shivajis son and successor to the throne, fell out of favor with his father and he escaped from here along with his wife on 13 December 1678 and attacked Bhupalgad. He returned to Panhala, however, on 4 December 1679 to reconcile with his father just before his fathers death on 4 April 1680, at the height of Shivajis power in 1678, Panhala housed 15,000 horses and 20,000 soldiers. In 1689, when Sambhaji was imprisoned by Aurangzebs general Takrib Khan at Sangameshwar, however, it was re-captured in 1692 by Kashi Ranganath Sarpotdar under the guidance of Parshuram Pant Pratinidhi a Maratha garrison commander of the fort of Vishalgad

32.
Vishalgad
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Vishalgad was one of the important forts of Shivaji and Maratha Empire. The name ‘Vishalgad’ meaning grand fort in Marathi, was given by Shivaji after annexing it for the Maratha Empire in 1659. The fort is about 1130 metres that is 3630 feet, all the holder of this jagir were Brahmins. Khelna was in the control of Adilshah of Bijapur, Shivaji wanted to conquer the fort but the terrain of the fort was difficult, conquering the fort was easier said than done. Shivaji attacked the fort but the Adilshahi garrison at the fort was defending the fort valiantly, then, Shivaji came up with a plan. Accordingly, a group of Marathas went up to the fort and convinced the Adilshahi commander of the fort that they were not content with the rule of Shivaji, the Marathas were successful and the next day, they revolted and caused total chaos inside the fort. Simultaneously, Shivaji attacked the fort from outside and in no time captured the fort, Shivaji renamed the fort as Vishalgad. The fort is situated in Maharashtra, India and it is 76 km North-West of Kolhapur,60 km north-west of Panhala fort and 21 kilometers south of Kolhapur Ratnagiri road. It is situated on the hills that divide the region into two parts viz Amba Ghat and Anaskura ghat, since it is placed on the border of the hilly portion of Sahyadri ranges and the konkan region, it got great political significance in the historical times. It was regarded as a Watch tower for both regions, the fort has following sites nearly in ruins today except the Dargah. Amruteshwar Temple Shri Nrusinha Temple Takmak Tok Sati’s Vrindavan The Dargah or tomb of Hazrat Malik Raihan, thousands of Devotees visit the Dargah every year. Gawans officers Karnasinh Bhonsale and his son Bhimsinha captured the fort with the help of Ghorpad i. e, thenceforth, Bhimsinha was conferred with the title Ghorpade. In 1489, Yusuf Adil Shah separated himself from the Bahamani kingdom along with the area under his command, hence, the fort was attached to Adil Shahi sultanate. In 1659, Shivaji captured the fort with the help of the officers on the fort, in July 1660, the fort witnessed Shivajis escape from the Adilshahi blockade around fort Panhala and the Battle of Pavan Khind. Baji Prabhu Deshpande, Shivajis experienced General and Rango Narayan Orpe, Shivajis young officer on the fort, defeated Adilshahi troops at Pavan Khind, after Shivajis death, Chhatrapati Sambhaji would spend most of his times on the fort. He took initiative in renovation and reconstruction of parts of the fortresses and gates of the fort. In 1689, Rajaram Chhatrapati fled to Fort Gingee in Karnataka from fort Panhala, during the times of Maratha Empire, Vishalgad was made capital of a large region consisting of ninety towns and villages in Kolhapur and Ratnagiri districts

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Latur district
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Latur district is a district in Maharashtra state of India. Latur city is the headquarters and is the 16th largest city in the state of Maharashtra. Urban population comprises 25. 47% of the total population, Latur has an ancient history, which probably dates to the Rashtrakuta period. It was home to a branch of Rashtrakutas which ruled the Deccan 753-973 AD, the first Rashtrakuta king Dantidurga was from Lattalur, probably the ancient name for Latur. Anecdotally, Ratnapur is mentioned as a name for Latur, the King Amoghavarsha of Avinash developed Latur city, originally the native place of the Rashtrakutas. The Rashtrakutas who succeeded the Chalukyas of Badami in 753 AD called themselves the residents of Lattalur. It was, over the centuries, ruled by the Satavahanas, the Sakas, the Chalukyas, the Yadavas of Deogiri, the Delhi Sultans, the Bahamani rulers of South India, Adilshahi, and the Mughals. In the 17th century, it part of the independent princely state of Hyderabad. Under Hyderabad the tax system was reformed and many of the exploitative taxing practices were ended, in 1905 it was merged with surrounding areas, renamed Latur tehsil, and became part of Osmanabad district, which until 1948 was a part of Hyderabad state under the Nizam. The chief of Nizams Razakar army Qasim Rizwi was from Latur, after independence and the merger of Hyderabad with the Indian Union, Osmanabad became part of Bombay Province. In 1960, with the creation of Maharashtra, Osmanabad was one of its districts, Latur district is in the Marathwada region in Maharashtra in India, located between 17°52 North to 18°50 North and 76°18 East to 79°12 East in the Deccan plateau. It has an elevation of 631 metres above mean sea level. The district may be divided into two regions — the Balaghat plateau and the region consisting of Ahmadpur and Udgir. The entire district of Latur is on the Balaghat plateau,540 to 638 metres from the sea level. On 30 September an earthquake struck Latur and it is the 16 largest city in Maharashtra. It is also the fastest growing city in ASIA, average rainfall in the district is 600 to 800 mm. This is usually during the months from July to October. The rainfall is unpredictable in tune with the Indian monsoon, summers begin from early March to July

34.
Udgir Fort
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Udgir Fort in the Udgir city in Latur district, Maharashtra of India is a fort built in pre-Bahamani age, dating from the twelfth century CE. It is also famous for the battle in which Marathas, led by Sadashivrao Bhau, defeated Nizam. There are many old military observation points, and rest houses scattered over the surrounding hills, however, all have long since fallen into ruin. Udgir Fort may also have an underground tunnel connecting it with Bhalki. The fort is bounded by a 40 feet deep trench, and contains several palaces, as well as the Samadhi of Udaygir Maharaj and it was named after the Hindu Saint Udaygiri Rishi. It has some rare inscriptions written in Arabic and Persian which testify to the promotion of knowledge, Udgir Fort Welcome to our Udgir

35.
Mumbai city district
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Mumbai City District is a district of Maharashtra in Konkan Division. As a city district, it has no headquarters or subdivisions and it, along with the Mumbai Suburban District, makes up the metropolis of Mumbai. The city area is called the city or South Mumbai or Old Mumbai. It extends from Colaba in the south to Mahim and Sion in the north, the city has an area of 157 km² and a population of 3,085,411. The city of Bombay came in light in the year 150 A. D. through the work of renowned geographer. The city, consisting of several islands, was ruled by native Agris and kolis. These natives ruled the islands up to 1345, thereafter, Mumbais rulers changed through history until Islamic rulers conquered what is now Maharashtra and conquered some of the islands in 1534. Subsequently, a Muslim sultan of Gujarat took over all the islands, initially, Charles II entrusted the administration of Bombay to the East India Company. By a Royal Charter under the Regulation XIX of 1827, passed by the British Government, the Collector of Bombay enjoyed vast authority under the Bombay Land Revenue Act 1876 which was repealed by the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code 1966. According to the 2011 census Mumbai City district has a population of 3,085,411 and this gives it a ranking of 115th in India. The district has a density of 19,652 inhabitants per square kilometre. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was -7. 57%, Mumbai City has a sex ratio of 832 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 89. 21%. Govt of Maharashtra Official site of Mumbai city collectorate

Geographic coordinate system
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A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system used in geography that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation, to specify a location on a

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Longitude lines are perpendicular and latitude lines are parallel to the equator.

India
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India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and it is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast. It shares land borders with Pakistan to the west, China, Nepal, and Bhutan to

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Flag

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The granite tower of Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur was completed in 1010 CE by Raja Raja Chola I.

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Writing the will and testament of the Mughal king court in Persian, 1590–1595

States and territories of India
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India is a federal union comprising twenty-nine states and seven union territories. The states and union territories are further subdivided into districts and further into smaller administrative divisions, the Constitution of India distributes the sovereign executive and legislative powers exercisable with respect to the territory of any State betw

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Hyderabad state in 1909

Maharashtra
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Maharashtra is a state in the western region of India and is Indias second-most populous state and third-largest state by area. It is the wealthiest Indian state and it is also the worlds second-most populous sub-national entity. It has over 112 million inhabitants and its capital, Mumbai, has a population of approximately 18 million, Nagpur is Mah

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Trimurti sculpture of Lord Dattatreya from Elephanta Caves, an UNESCO World Heritage Site in Maharashtra

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Ajanta Caves in Aurangabad, Maharashtra

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Late Harappa figure from Daimabad hoard, Indus Valley Civilization

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Bronze statue of Shivaji Maharaj in the collection of the Shri Bhavani Museum of Aundh, Maharashtra.

List of districts of India
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A district is an administrative division of an Indian state or territory. In some cases districts are subdivided into sub-divisions, and in others directly into tehsils or talukas. As of 2016 there are a total of 707 districts, up from the 640 in the 2011 Census of India, mahe of Puducherry is the smallest district of India by area while Kutch of G

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Districts of India

Chandwad
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Chandwad is a town located in the Nashik district in Maharashtra. It is 250 km away from Mumbai, there are many historical places like Renuka devi mandir, Chandreshwar temple and Rangmahal located in Chandwad. Chandwad is a tehsil in Malegaon subdivision of Nashik district in Maharashtra and it is a historical place where Ahilyadevi Holkars Rangmah

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National Highway 3 at Chandwad

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Chandwad-Chandrashwer Temple closeup

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Chandwad-Chandrashwer Temple

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Hills near Chandwad

Marathi language
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Marathi is an Indian language spoken predominantly by the Marathi people of Maharashtra. It is the language and co-official language in the Maharashtra and Goa states of Western India, respectively. There were 73 million speakers in 2001, Marathi ranks 19th in the list of most spoken languages in the world, Marathi has the fourth largest number of

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The popular Marathi language newspapers at a newsstand in Mumbai, 2006

Salher
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Salher is a place located near Waghamba in Satana tehsil in Nasik district of Maharashtra, India. The money acquired after raiding Surat was brought to this fort first on its way to the Maratha capital forts, according to a legend, Lord Parshuram did his Tapascharya at Salher Fort. After winning the earth and giving it as donation, he land for hims

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Salher Fort

Kalsubai
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Kalsubai is a mountain of the Western Ghats range located in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Its summit situated at an elevation of 5400 feet is the highest point in Maharashtra which earns it the much glorified title of the Everest of Maharashtra, the mountain range lies within the Kalsubai Harishchandragad Wild-life Sanctuary. It is visited thro

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Kalsubai, highest peak in Maharashtra.

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Temple at the summit

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Kalsubai.

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Peak of Kalsubai photographed in late evening.

Western Ghats
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Western Ghats மேற்கு தொடர்ச்சி மலை is a mountain range that runs parallel to the western coast of the Indian peninsula, located entirely in India. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the eight hottest hot-spots of biological diversity in the world and it is sometimes called the Great Escarpment of India. The range runs north to south a

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A view of Anamudi, the highest peak of the Western Ghats 2,695 metres (8,842 ft) from Eravikulam National Park, Kerala.

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The Dense Vegetation in the Watchumaram Region towards valparai

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Shola Grasslands and forests in the Kudremukh National Park, Western Ghats, Karnataka.

Abhona
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Abhona is a village in Kalwan tehsil of Nashik district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It belongs to the North Maharashtra region, Abhona is located 60 km towards north from district headquarters Nashik,12 km from Kalwan and 240 km from state capital Mumbai. Abhona is situated 760 meters above sea level, the vegetation and cold climate of Abho

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Hills around Abhona.

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Green Hills around Abhona in rainy Season.

Sahyadris
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Western Ghats மேற்கு தொடர்ச்சி மலை is a mountain range that runs parallel to the western coast of the Indian peninsula, located entirely in India. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the eight hottest hot-spots of biological diversity in the world and it is sometimes called the Great Escarpment of India. The range runs north to south a

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A view of Anamudi, the highest peak of the Western Ghats 2,695 metres (8,842 ft) from Eravikulam National Park, Kerala.

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The Dense Vegetation in the Watchumaram Region towards valparai

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Shola Grasslands and forests in the Kudremukh National Park, Western Ghats, Karnataka.

Hanuman
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Hanuman is an ardent devotee of Rama. He is one of the figures in the Hindu epic Ramayana. As one of the Chiranjivi, he is mentioned in several other texts, including the Mahabharata. Hanuman participated in Ramas war against the demon king Ravana, several later texts also present him as an incarnation of Shiva. He is the son of Anjana and Kesari a

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Hanuman painted in Pahari Style

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Indonesian Balinese wooden statue of Hanuman

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Standing Hanuman, Chola Dynasty, 11th century, Tamil Nadu, India

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Murti of Hanuman and his mother Anjana, at the Anjani Mata temple, Chomu.

Madhavrao Peshwa
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Madhav Rao I was the fourth Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. During his tenure, the Maratha empire recovered from the losses suffered during the Third Battle of Panipat. He is considered one of the greatest Peshwas in Maratha history, Madhavrao was second son of Nanasaheb Peshwa. He was born in Savnur in 1745, at the time of his birth, Maratha Empire

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A memorial marking the death place of Madhavrao Ballal Peshwa and where his wife committed Sati. The memorial is located in the town of Theur, Maharashtra

Pune
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Pune is the second largest city in the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ninth most populous city in the country. In the 18th century, Pune was the centre of the Indian subcontinent. Considered to be the capital of Maharashtra, Pune is known as Oxford of the East due to the presence of several well-known educational institutions in the city. The

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The circular Nandi mandapa at the Pataleshwar cave temple, built during the Rashtrakuta dynasty.

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An equestrian statue of Baji Rao I outside the Shaniwar Wada, who is credited with successful expansion of Maratha power in North India (circa 1730 CE)

Ahmednagar district
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Ahmednagar district is the largest district of Maharashtra state in western India. The historical Ahmednagar city is the headquarters of the district, Ahmednagar was the seat of the Ahmednagar Sultanate of late medieval period. This district is known for the towns of Shirdi associated with Sai Baba, Ahmednagar district is part of Nashik Division. T

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Location of Ahmednagar district in Maharashtra

Ahmednagar Fort
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The Ahmednagar Fort is located beside on Bhingar River near Bhingar and ahmednagarrAhmednagar, Maharashtra. It was the headquarters of the Ahmednagar Sultanate, in 1803, it was taken by the British in during the Second Anglo-Maratha War. It was used as a prison during the British Raj, currently, the fort is under the administration of the Armoured

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Ahmednagar fort

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Ahmednagar fort (on the left side)

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Ahmednagar fort interior

Harishchandragad
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Harishchandragad is a hill fort in the Ahmednagar district of India. Its history is linked with that of Malshej Ghat, kothale village, remnants of Microlithic man have been discovered here. The various Puranas like Matsyapurana, Agnipurana and Skandapurana include many references about Harishchandragad and its origin is said to have been in the 6th

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Kalbhairav pinnacle, Konkan Kada, Harishchandragad

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A panoramic view from the basement

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Kedareshwar Cave. Local legend holds that when the fourth pillar breaks, the world will come to an end.

Patta Fort
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Patta Fort, or Patta Killa, also known as Vishramgad, is a fort situated between Nasik and Ahmadnagar in Maharashtra. Shivaji Maharaj once visited and rested there, the residents of Patta Killa are known as Pattekar, meaning residents of Fort Patta. The height of Patta Fort from sea level is approximately 1,392 Meters and this fort was in the Baham

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Palace on Patta fort

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Patta fort Top

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View of Darna valley from Patta fort

Ratangad
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Ratangad is a fort in Ratan Wadi, Maharashtra, India, overlooking the locale of Bhandardara, one of the oldest artificial catchment area. This fort is located in the Ahmadnagar district of Maharashtra and it is on the boundary of Ahmadnagar and Thane districts. The fort is about 2000 years old and this fort is covered with beautiful flowering plant

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Ratangad

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The two ladders that have to crossed to reach the main fort area

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This is a natural hole in the mountain top probably caused by wind erosion. It is 10 feet high and 60 feet wide. Due to its shape it is called Nedhe (or eye of the needle in Marathi)Click here to see its photosphere

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Tryambak Darwaza - The main entrance to Ratangad fort

Akola district
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Akola is a district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The city of Akola is the district headquarters, Akola district forms the central part of Amravati Division, which was the former British Raj Berar Province. Area of the district is 5,431 km² and it is bounded on the north by Amravati District, to the east by Amravati District and by Washim Dis

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Location of Akola district in Maharashtra

Akola Fort
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Akola fort along with the Narnala and Akot forts forms the major fortifications of the Akola district, Maharashtra, India. Its earliest form of mud was made by one Akol Singh to protect the village and he saw a hare chasing a dog and considering this to be an auspicious sign, he built an earthen wall here to protect the village. Akola was heavily f

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Akola Fort

Narnala
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Narnala, also known as Shanur Fort, is a hill fortress in Maharashtra, India, named after the Rajput Ruler Narnal Singh. The fort was first established in 10 A. D. by Gond Kings, in the 15th Century it was occupied and rebuilt by the Mughals, becoming one of Berar Subahs thirteen sarkar. It consists of three forts, Zafarabad fort on the east, Narna

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Narnala fort, circa 1860

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Narnala (Marathi नरनाळा) photo by dhiraj hadole

Amravati district
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Amravati District is a District of Maharashtra state in central India. Amravati is the headquarters of the district. The district is situated between 20°32 and 21°46 north latitudes and 76°37 and 78°27 east longitudes, the district occupies an area of 12,235 km². In 1853, the territory of Amravati district as a part of Berar Province was assigned t

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A road in the Amravati district headquarters

Gawilghur
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Gawilghur was a well-fortified mountain stronghold of the Maratha Empire north of the Deccan Plateau, in the vicinity of Melghat Tiger Reserve, Amravati District, Maharashtra. It was successfully assaulted by an Anglo-Indian force commanded by Arthur Wellesley on 15 December 1803 during the Second Anglo-Maratha War, the fort takes its name from the

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Gavilgad fort walls

Aurangabad district, Maharashtra
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Aurangabad District, also called one of the 36 districts of Maharashtra state in western India. It is bordered by the districts of Nashik to the west, Jalgaon to the north, Jalna to the east, Aurangabad is the headquarters and principal city. The district covers an area of 10,100 km², out of which 141.1 km² is urban area and 9,958.9 km² is rural, A

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Bibi Ka Maqbara is a monument built in 1660 by Aurangzeb 's son, Azam Shah, as a loving tribute to his mother, Dilras Bano Begam.

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Location of Aurangabad district in Maharashtra

Daulatabad, Maharashtra
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Daulatabad also known as Devagiri, is a town which includes the Devagiri-Daulatabad fort It is a 14th-century fort city in Maharashtra state of India, about 16 kilometres northwest of Aurangabad. The place was originally named Devagiri when it was an important uplands city along caravan routes, however it is also considered to be one of the seven w

Dhule District
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Dhule district is a district of Maharashtra state in western region of India. The city of Dhule is the headquarters of the district. The Dhule district previously comprised tracts of land inhabited by tribal population. The Dhule district was bifurcated on 1 July 1998 into two separate districts now known as Dhule and Nandurbar, the latter comprisi

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Location of Dhule district in Maharashtra

Laling Fort
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Laling Qila is a small fort situated in the present day Dhule district of Maharashtra state in India. The fort is situated on top of Laling hill about 9.65 km south of Dhule city and it was one of the important forts in the Khandesh region during the time of the Faruqi Kings. It is a place of antiquity and the fort is supposed to have been built du

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Laling fort seen from a distance

Kolhapur district
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Kolhapur district is in Maharashtra state. The city of Kolhapur is the district headquarters, as of 2011, the district had population of 3,876,001, of which 33% were urban. According to the 2011 census Kolhapur district has a population of 3,874,015, the district has a population density of 504 inhabitants per square kilometre. Its population growt

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Location of Kolhapur district in Maharashtra

Panhala Fort
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Panhala fort, is located in Panhala,20 kilometres northwest of Kolhapur in Maharashtra, India. It is strategically located looking over a pass in the Sahyadri mountain range which was a trade route from Bijapur in the interior of Maharashtra to the coastal areas. Here, the regent of Kolhapur State, Tarabai, spent her formative years. Several parts

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Inner gate of Teen darwaza c. 1894, Panhala fort

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Lotus motif on Panhala of Raja Bhoj, who built the fort

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Peacock motif on Panhala fort of the Adil Shah Sultanis

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Statue of Baji Prabhu Deshpande at Panhala

Vishalgad
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Vishalgad was one of the important forts of Shivaji and Maratha Empire. The name ‘Vishalgad’ meaning grand fort in Marathi, was given by Shivaji after annexing it for the Maratha Empire in 1659. The fort is about 1130 metres that is 3630 feet, all the holder of this jagir were Brahmins. Khelna was in the control of Adilshah of Bijapur, Shivaji want

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One of the few surviving structures on Vishalgad

Latur district
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Latur district is a district in Maharashtra state of India. Latur city is the headquarters and is the 16th largest city in the state of Maharashtra. Urban population comprises 25. 47% of the total population, Latur has an ancient history, which probably dates to the Rashtrakuta period. It was home to a branch of Rashtrakutas which ruled the Deccan

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Latur District political map

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Location of Latur district in Maharashtra

Udgir Fort
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Udgir Fort in the Udgir city in Latur district, Maharashtra of India is a fort built in pre-Bahamani age, dating from the twelfth century CE. It is also famous for the battle in which Marathas, led by Sadashivrao Bhau, defeated Nizam. There are many old military observation points, and rest houses scattered over the surrounding hills, however, all

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Udgir Fort

Mumbai city district
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Mumbai City District is a district of Maharashtra in Konkan Division. As a city district, it has no headquarters or subdivisions and it, along with the Mumbai Suburban District, makes up the metropolis of Mumbai. The city area is called the city or South Mumbai or Old Mumbai. It extends from Colaba in the south to Mahim and Sion in the north, the c

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As Hindu Mythology says, He was the incarnation of Lord Shiva the God of Destruction, the Third god of Hindu trinity (All this universe is in the glory of God, of Shiva, the God of Love. The heads and faces of men are His own and He is in the hearts of all - Yajur Veda). He is believed to be 11th Rudra (Shiva) avatar.